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Juvenile Problem
Juvenile Problem
Security net offered by Government in terms of laws, policies and facilities has failed them Lowering of age for juveniles will only push them into criminal justice system faster
rape case where one of the accused is a juvenile, this boy (accused) had run away from home, had no access to education and was engaged as a child labour. He was exposed and left vulnerable to those engaged in crimes. With this background the fact that he himself took to crime is no surprise. The fact remains that the security net offered to children by the Government in terms of laws, policies and facilities failed him, said Vijay. Stating that lowering of age for juveniles will only push them into the criminal justice system faster, he added: We, the street and working children, feel that while there are enough policies and programmes there is no proper implementation. What we want is not for us to be pushed into crime but to be saved. Seconding the view, child right activists and practitioners present at the meeting stressed the need for deepening of the collective understanding on how to ensure justice for all, particularly children.
dren will be decided at a time when reasoned debate is almost impossible given the extent of (understandable and warranted) public anger and disgust with both the specic crime, as well as the system at large. We believe that children in this country deserve a reasoned and rational debate on this issue since it is they who will be most affected, he added. Speaking at the interactive session, Nina Nayak of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said: There are adequate checks and balances in the system aimed specically to help children. However, there is a need to ensure that the implementation is done in the right manner across the country. Noting that children more than adults need a chance at reformation, psychiatrists Dr. Achal Bhagat said: Till a person does not reach 18 year of age, he is not physically, mentally or emotionally grown enough to take on the responsibilities of an adult. Also children more than adults have a much better chance of reformation given a chance.